I just published a pretty intense post about the current gay rights debate going on right now – in the USA, amongst Christians, in the media – it’s everywhere right now.

Lately I’ve found myself tugged into countless online and verbal debates on the topic. In case you missed my previous post, or don’t know me all that well, I’m a Straight Christian Ally. Meaning, I love Jesus and try my best to follow His teachings, the Bible, etc., and I also support gay rights, including marriage equality.

There’s a huge movement out there. Sometimes known as “allies” or “I’m sorry” – we’re growing every single day. One of the bloggers I most respect, Tamara Out Loud, is an awesome mouthpiece for such shared ideals. She recently attended a Pride Parade, and wrote about her experiences here.

LesBeHonest‘s Staight Ally Page: a variety of videos and quotes, great resource for allies here!

A random blog I found, that’s just one of thousands, that eloquently expresses the “I’m Sorry” aspect to this movement – this is Jeff Jackson’s Tumblr.

The link party could go on and on – I just wanted to give y’all some starting points and spring boards.

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In the post earlier, I quoted my Fb status from yesterday. Well – here are some other gems that I’ve spewed onto the Book of Face in the past 24 hours about the issues at hand – quote me, copy me, emulate me, do what you want – I trust my words and intentions will be used in good faith, and if you have any doubts about it, just ask me. I’m nice like that!

An AWESOME and OPEN MINDED Fb exchange with a valued pal:

Leigh Palmer: No i know, but it’s not like there is a Chick-fil-A in Chelsea, they are mostly in suburban areas with lots of families, in the south. I could be wrong. ( I have no real research backing this statement up). Any thoughts Rose? I just mean, it seems to be that their customer base is more likely a young “Christian” family rather than someone who a more open mind.

Rose: You’d be surprised. For a few reasons:

Today, with the Internet as powerful as it is, geography isn’t a definer for political thought. The most rural SAHM can be on the up and up of social movements as fast as they’re happening.

Gay Rights and other progressive causes have infiltrated the suburbs. Claire Williams lives in one of the “gayest” zip codes in the country.

CFA is in urban and northern areas; The NYU campus being a major point of contention. Students at NYU voted to keep CFA on campus and it’s caused a huge stir given the locale and progressive tendency of college students.

The chasm of gay rights is causing huge division in the church. Everyday the “I’m Sorry” movement gains followers. More and more “conservative Christians” are waking up to the idea that hate is not a family value, and as such, change is happening. Hence why stalwarts are digging in their heels. They’re terrified.

Just look at Target. They were ousted for their support of homophobic politicians… and they’ve since recanted, donated money to progressive causes and issued apologies. The gay-supporting ban of Target wasn’t well-known or huge, but it was enough, because it evoked real change.

Rose (again): Don’t ever doubt your ability to be one voice that does matter – because to a big company like CFA – they’ve made their empire one sandwich at a time, and we can dissemble it the same way.

Leigh: ♥ you Rose Duggan — thanks for reminding me of all of those things. 🙂

Rose: you got it girl!! love you too leigh, your honesty is awesome! i love that you aren’t afraid to ask questions!!

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More random Fb gems from various threads:

I love Jesus, and I’m not eating at Chic-fil-A. If you claim to love Jesus, get the hate out your mouth.

I’m just tired of “Christians” using a soap box to speak out from a place of bigotry.

Not all Christians hate. Some of us try to love everyone, just like Jesus asked us to. And I do NOT mean anyone personally in this thread – I mean the Pres and C-Suite of CFA. They’re comfortable projecting further the image that Christians judge and condone one another.

Love they neighbor. Judge not lest ye be judged.

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I think the community works of CFA are amazing, really, I know so many people who’ve benefitted from fundraisers and money in their local communities. I also respect that they encourage family dynamics by being closed on Sundays – I truly love that about the company.

And I think their food is SO GOOD. I grew up on CFA. I crave that lemonade and those breakfast biscuits.

But.

At the end of the day this is 2012 and I am not okay with a corporation levying its public influence with such hatred.

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On the issue of boycotts being hateful and judgmental:

A boycott is a peaceful, legal, and proper way to engage in social criticism by voting with your consumer power. A boycott is NOT an act of violence or hatred.

This country is founded on a plethora of rights, including that of being able to express your ideals, freely, in a variety of ways. Being a capitalist society – the almighty dollar tends to be the vehicle that carries a belief the fastest.

I firmly respect anyone’s right to believe whatever they like – be that homophobic hatred or true Christianity. Or anything. That’s America, baby.

I just don’t have to use my money to fuel a machine that churns out vile, evil, hatred. A machine that donated millions of dollars to homophobic groups even in 2009. CFA is a massive consumer power – it’s ability to fundraise, lobby, and support the entities of its choice cannot be overlooked.

If you – this is the general “you,” meaning anyone – feels firmly that gay rights should not exist in this country and that homosexuality is evil, grab your picket sign and go to work. No one is stopping you from expressing an ideal or opinion. In fact, much like the SCOTUS upheld WBC’s right to hate away – I do the same for anyone. Just know that there are plenty of people, myself included, who don’t believe that same sex relationships are displeasing to God. And in fact – we go so far as to encourage them out of love, support, and kindness for our fellow man. Ya know… kinda like how Jesus asked to do so.

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I truly understand and appreciate the local impact of CFA. I have so many friend who’ve personally testified to the greatness this one company can do for the location in which the restaurant is established.

But there’s something bigger at play here.

The President of a major company being so openly hateful – it’s just not okay. As good as their food is, as hard as the employees work, as much as they nurture and support the local communities they’re in – the damage of the power-wielding C-Suite is just too much.

If a boycott could effectively slice to their bottom line, I guarantee they’ll come back around hat in hand, singing a different tune.

Just look at Target. Same thing and they’ve come around, and now they’re trying to make up for their ways.

“Over $2 million dollars donated to anti-gay organizations! They claim not to be a christian organization, and very supportive of the family, but only their definition of family. Well I can promise you that me and my non-biblically defined family will never be eating here again. Hate is not a family value.”

My reply:

THANK YOU! I’m up to my elbows in online debate right now… I’m SO FIRED UP.

This is NOTHING NEW. I’ve boycotted CFA since ’09 when I discovered that my money spent of delicious sandwiches was fueling the fire of hatred.

If you love Jesus, you have no business HATING others. That ain’t Christian at all.

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On the issue of the south, particularly my home town, being tough to change:

I’m from Ormond Beach. And while I understand the stigma of the South being “set in its ways” – change can and does happen.

Florida was still a blue state in the ’08 election cycle.

With the Internet as it is today, physical geography is becoming less and less of a barrier to political thought and social movements.

Some of the “gayest” zipcodes in America are in southern states – like the northside of Jacksonville, Fl or Asheville, NC. Every single day the “I’m Sorry” movement gains followers.

And finally… it’s been done before. I know that Target is a farther-reaching company. But the boycott of Target did not get the viral attention this issue is getting, and yet that pressure was enough to elicit change. Target was caught supporting anti-gay political candidates in MN (the state of its corporate offices) and after public backlash the megastore issued apologies, pulled funding to such entities, and instead gave money to progressive causes.

It’s been a big week. Duggs started his new job out in the civilian world. He’s working with my cousin and uncle for Purina – YAY DUGGS! I’m so proud of you, and happy for you. Congrats! I’ve had a busy week- lots of working out and work, and being busy. My mom is coming next week, ya know, for the 4th of July and MY BIRTHDAY, I think my cousins from NC may be coming too and possibly another aunt and uncle from DC? I think it’s going to be a very fun week next week. But to prep for a week o’ fun, there must be a week o’ grindstone.

Not to mention all the SCOTUS stuff. If you ever want to hear my take on why Obamacare is amazing, just shoot me a message and we can chat. I don’t like to get too soap-boxy here, but it should be of no secret to you, dear readers and pals, that I was ecstatic when I found out that healthcare was OK’ed via majority opinion. Whew. Sad about Stolen Valor, but hopeful that a new law with more specific language will replace it.

It’s been a crazy week.

All in all, I’ve been feeling great and doing well. Huge change from Hawaii life. Getting out of the moldy house of death has totally freed me from the bondage of sickness. I feel like a whole new woman!

good morning, err good afternoon?

Otherwise…

my legs are still sore from Wednesday night’s speed work and plyo

I’ve been on a 90’s pop bender this week, Ace of Base and Spice Girls, what?

I’m excited that it’s warm out and my cousin’s putting his new-to-him boat in the water TODAY!

we’re going to a really fun fair this weekend and I can’t wait!

I’m excited for 4th of July

I’ve been drinking less soda, less coffee, and more water than usual – go me!

So, how’s your week been? What do you have coming up this weekend? Anything?

Thanks for stopping by, Happy Friday! Happy Summer! Happy almost a holiday! I hope everyone had a rad week and that y’all are doing well.

rocky jumping on me, doh!

this is an autsin power’s joke. see, that 90s music got to me.

now here’s a napolean pose to keep me more updated. see, i’m cool, i’m hip… (see what i did there again?)

Rate this:

I’m (obviously) not a reporter, so this isn’t a news story. This is just a way to bookmark my life, to post where I was in this amazing moment.

I’m on the phone with my mom. She just said in my ear, “finally! Thank God. I’m so glad. Wow.” <– and that’s been about the extent of our conversational skills.

This evening I was on my distance run with the pooch, we were about 30 minutes from home when my friend Ariana texted me, “have you seen the news?” I got that pukey feeling. My husband is deployed, and I know weird stuff has been happening in Afghan this past week. I slow down to this weird jogging hobble so I can text her back, “no.” I’m all nervous, not knowing what she’s about to tell me. I start running again, and I hear the text message sound through my headphones. I pull my running strap down my arm so I can see the screen of my iphone and I read Ariana’s text: “bin laden is dead.”

I just stopped right then and there. I was stunned.

I finished my run, came home and put on the TV and turned on my lappy so I could catch up on all the hubbub.

HOW EXCITING!

Praise God, this is just so incredible. I want to thank every service member, intelligence agent, every person who died on 9/11, and every person who’s lost a loved one either on 9/11 or the days since. As a nation, so many people, in all walks of life, have been so dedicated to this cause. And I am just so proud to have done my small part as a military spouse, and just as a citizen. We did it, USA!!

A lot of my friends have been getting political on FB. Dissecting Obama’s speech, being critical of the wars we’ve been in, speculating about retaliation. I don’t care about those nuances right now. I’m not letting anything tarnish this high. We deserve this feeling of elation. We deserve this victory, so I’m going to just revel in it and enjoy it. I’ll come back down to the ground tomorrow.

I hope I never forget how this feels and where I was.

I LOVE THE USA, and I have never been so proud to be an American!!

stretching after my run, talking on the phone to mom with the news on mute

My mom just said, “I’d like to shake the hand of the guy who blew him away.” Me too! I’d love to tell him thanks. I can’t wait to find out more details about the special ops mission that brought him down. The vague details I’ve heard so far sound incredibly badass and awesome. And for what it’s worth I loved Obama’s speech tonight when he broke the news. And I found George W. Bush’s statement to be really eloquent. From both sides, celebration is deserved!!

this is how sad we are even imagining a world without public broadcasting. SO SAD.

Go here, and help fight the good fight to keep public broadcasting adequately funded: http://www.170millionamericans.org/

And if you think that public broadcasting is dumb or not worth it, let me implore you to give some fine programming a whirl. In the car, you need to listen to NPR. Its free, and has no commercials. You’ll love it.

I love NPR, and not just for the news (which is totes great). But I love the shows.

This American Life is my fav radio show ever. I also enjoy The State We’re In, Talk of the Nation, and that cooking one that’s always on Saturday when I’m driving to yoga? Its something about a table… The Splendid Table (I had to google the legit name), I love that show too. (They’re always cooking delicious things and making me hungry on my way to the gym). Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me is fun. I could go on.

And PBS? Did you not see Colonial House? That was one of the dopest reality shows ever. Nova? Epic. All the time. The multi-part documentary Jazz? So incredible. If you have Netflix, you’ve probably watching multiple PBS programs without even realizing it.

WE NEED PUBLIC BROADCASTING.

So really quick… Just go here and do your thing, sign a petition and send some emails to your reps: http://www.170millionamericans.org/

Check out the lovely email one of my reps here in Hawaii emailed me today:

Dear Mrs. Duggan:

Thank you for contacting me regarding funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). I noted your concerns regarding the elimination of federal funding for public broadcasting in H.R. 1, the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011, which was passed in the House of Representatives on February 19, 2011, by a vote of 235 to 189.

The CPB is the largest single source of funding for public television and radio programming. CPB radio programs are distributed primarily through stations such as National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Radio International (PRI), and other producers or distributors of public radio programs.

I have long been supportive of CPB and its mission to provide high quality, educational programming, and I believe that CPB continues to provide some of the healthiest and most valuable programming available for our keiki and community.

As Congress considers budget priorities and appropriations for FY 2011 and 2012, rest assured I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure adequate funding is provided for the CPB. Mahalo again for contacting me.

Aloha pumehana,

DANIEL K. AKAKA

U.S. Senator

Damn! He’s not playing. And neither am I. Public broadcasting is a seriously vital component of our free lives, and our devotion to free, public, ongoing, accessible, and important education.